CounterCurrents: The Fake News Inquiry: Old Wine In New Bottles

Dear Friend,

With a reference to the Saturday Night Massacre that took place during the Watergate scandal under President Richard Nixon, the hashtag #MondayNightMassacre came alive on Monday night after President Donald Trump fired acting Acting Attorney General Sally Yates and accused her of "betrayal" for refusing to enforce a controversial immigration order targeting Muslims and refugees.

The gasolinazo protests, which erupted in Mexico early this month over the slashing of gasoline subsidies, continue throughout the country.

In an effort to distract public attention from the corruption probe that could force his resignation and bring down his government Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel has given the go-ahead for building 2,500 new homes in settlements in the West Bank, the largest construction scheme of its kind since 2013-14, saying, “We are building, and will continue to build.”

"Fake News" is in the news once again. In the United Kingdom, the Culture, Media and Sports Committee has made an announcement that it will investigate claims about the public being persuaded by untruths and the dazzling influence of propaganda. Dr. Binoy Kampmark asks a pertinent question, is "Fake News" really a new phenomenon? Haven't we heard about Saddam's WMDs, Niger Yellow Cakes, Saddam Hussain hitting London in 45 minutes? Dr. Kampmark asks who is to decide what's true and what's false? 

Romi Mahajan walks into a London book store and sees an entire section dedicated to Sir Winston Churchill, the chief architect of the Bengal famine but finds only 13 books on India. What does that speak of London? of UK in General?

The Cauvery Delta in Tamil Nadu going through one of the most severe droughts in history. Listen to people's woes. 

And also more stories from around the world. 

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In Solidarity

Binu Mathew
Editor
www.countercurrents.org




Trump Fires Acting Attorney General, Pushes Ahead With Ban On Refugees
by Patrick Martin 

http://www.countercurrents.org/2017/01/31/trump-fires-acting-attorney-general-pushes-ahead-with-ban-on-refugees/

US President Donald Trump fired the acting attorney general, Sally Yates, an Obama administration holdover, after she defied instructions to defend Trump’s executive order banning the entry of refugees and visitors from seven Muslim-majority countries—Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.





Lawsuits Filed Challenging Trump’s Muslim Ban
by Abdus Sattar Ghazali 

http://www.countercurrents.org/2017/01/31/lawsuits-filed-challenging-trumps-muslim-ban/

At least two lawsuits were filed Monday (Jan. 30) against against President’s Trump’s Friday’s “Muslim ban” executive order. In Seattle, Washington, State Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced that he is challenging President Donald Trump’s executive order banning Muslim immigrants and refugees, calling it unconstitutional and asking for a temporary restraining order. In Washington DC, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) filed the federal lawsuit on behalf of more than 20 “John Doe” individuals who say President Donald Trump’s unilateral “Muslim ban” action is unconstitutional.






A Bully Pulpit or A Bully’s Pulpit
by Dr Arshad M Khan 

http://www.countercurrents.org/2017/01/31/a-bully-pulpit-or-a-bullys-pulpit/

Such a flurry of activity in the first week as executive orders poured out of the Oval Office at a fast and furious pace.  To what end …






Trump’s Entry Ban: Linked To The Neo-Con Agenda?
by Dr Chandra Muzaffar 

http://www.countercurrents.org/2017/01/31/trumps-entry-ban-linked-to-the-neo-con-agenda/

President Donald Trump’s ban on nationals from 7 Muslim majority countries in West Asia and North Africa (WANA) entering the United States of America for a period of 90 days has brought to the fore the role and influence of some of the forces that shape US foreign policy in the region. With the exception of one country, the Trump list is similar to a purported list of 7 countries that the US planned to attack “in 5 years” that a Pentagon official had allegedly revealed to former US General Wesley Clark in 2001, a little more than 7 weeks after the 9-11 tragedy. The list had all the countries in Trump’s list except Yemen. Instead of Yemen, there was Lebanon.






Protests In Mexico Continue Against Gas Price Hike, Water Privatization
by Clodomiro Puentes

http://www.countercurrents.org/2017/01/31/protests-in-mexico-continue-against-gas-price-hike-water-privatization/

The gasolinazo protests, which erupted in Mexico early this month over the slashing of gasoline subsidies, continue throughout the country. In Baja California, these protests have coincided with enormous social anger over PAN (National Action Party) state Governor Francisco Vega’s attempt to ram through legislation that would privatize water services and implement severe rate increases, a measure backed by the ostensibly “center-left” PRD (Party of the Democratic Revolution) and Movimiento Ciudadano (Citizens’ Movement).






Netanyahu Steps Up Settlement Construction
by Jean Shaoul 

http://www.countercurrents.org/2017/01/31/netanyahu-steps-up-settlement-construction/

Netanyahu has given the go-ahead for building 2,500 new homes in settlements in the West Bank, the largest construction scheme of its kind since 2013-14, saying, “We are building, and will continue to build.”






The Fake News Inquiry: Old Wine In New Bottles
by Dr Binoy Kampmark  

http://www.countercurrents.org/2017/01/31/the-fake-news-inquiry-old-wine-in-new-bottles/

In the United Kingdom, the Culture, Media and Sports Committee has made an announcement that it will investigate claims about the public being persuaded by untruths and the dazzling influence of propaganda. Invited submissions are to consider, among others, such questions as to what fake news is and where “biased but legitimate commentary shade into propaganda and lies”; the impact of such news on “public understanding of the world, and also on the public response to traditional journalism”





India Diminished
by Romi Mahajan 

http://www.countercurrents.org/2017/01/31/india-diminished/

England does love its “Last Lion.”    Churchill, whose bust now sits in Trump’s Oval Office, is still the cynosure of all hearts, souls, and minds of the English.    Go to any London bookstore and you’ll find entire sections devoted to Sir Winston.  In a particularly charming bookstore in Piccadilly- perhaps one of the most beautiful stores in the whole country—an entire section is devoted to Churchill.  Shocking? Perhaps not until you stroll by the Asia “section” and the, count them, 13 books on India.






Sardar Sarovar Rehabilitation: Supreme Court To appoint High Level Expert Committee
by National Alliance of People’s Movements 

http://www.countercurrents.org/2017/01/31/sardar-sarovar-rehabilitation-supreme-court-to-appoint-high-level-expert-committee/

The committee will look into the market value of land & other properties under 2013 Act & also see whether rehabilitation is completed or otherwise. The budget required may be depicted with the apex court, the Hon. Court indicated.






Modus Operandi And Modus Vivendi In Bangladesh
by Fazal M. Kamal 

http://www.countercurrents.org/2017/01/31/modus-operandi-and-modus-vivendi-in-bangladesh/

Let’s take as an instance the plea of some police officials, as enunciated to the prime minister of Bangladesh, that laws restricting their ability to exercise the option of torture or inhuman treatment or similar actions on citizens in their control—most often as alleged criminals and sometimes not even that–-be eliminated. It’s logical to assume that such an appeal must’ve seemed like a bewildering embarrassment to the head of government.





The Cauvery Delta Withers
by Prema Revati 

http://www.countercurrents.org/2017/01/31/the-cauvery-delta-withers/

For many decades now, the delta farmers have been at the receiving end of the water dispute between the two riparian neighborsTamilnadu and Karnataka. This year, along with Cauvery the monsoon also failed them. More than 250 farmers have died over the last three months – some committed suicide while many died of shock and pent-up trauma, according to media reports and farmers associations. There are other issues too: In many villages ground water is already salinated due to the sea water inversion and there is acute scarcity of drinking water. Fodder and water for livestock are meagre, which means that one may not hope to access that line of survival as well.






Restore The Rule Of Law In Bastar, Demand Concerned Citizens

http://www.countercurrents.org/2017/01/31/restore-the-rule-of-law-in-bastar-demand-concerned-citizens/

This is an appeal for restoration of the rule of law in Bastar (Chhattisgarh), assured access without interference to any persons concerned with human rights abuses in the area, and action against those guilty of harassing such persons or other violations of human rights.